


Coffee and Chat

by ladygray99



Category: Numb3rs
Genre: Community: rounds_of_kink, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, M/M, Older Characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-23
Updated: 2010-01-23
Packaged: 2017-10-06 14:13:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/54557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladygray99/pseuds/ladygray99
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alan joins a chat room for older gay men and ends up getting tricked into meeting someone quite familiar.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coffee and Chat

**ORION has logged on to grey_gay**

**LA_Planner**: Orion. I haven’t seen you around for a while.

**Orion**: Got bogged down by work.  Couldn’t get to a computer.

**LA_Planner**: At least you’re still working.

**Orion**: I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if I wasn’t. How have you been?

**LA_Planner**: The usual. Try to keep busy. Watch the world go by. You?

**Orion**: Work is keeping me busy, don’t know if I’m coming or going.  Going to take some time off soon.

**LA_Planner**: Good. It sounds like you work too much.  Always on the road. There’s something to be said for staying in one place.

**Orion**: They’ll make me turn in my wheels soon enough.

**LA_Planner**: If they haven’t made you yet you’re probably too young to be lurking around here ;-)

**Orion**: :-) True, but there are only so many places to find what I’m looking for.

**LA_Planner**: And what are you looking for?

**Orion**: Someone with a few more miles than me. Someone who is old enough to understand a bit of the world.

**LA_Planner**: Well this would be the place.

**Orion**: I’m thinking about coming out to LA in a few weeks.

Alan rocked back in his chair, yanking his hands from the keyboard.  He’d been flirting with Orion for almost a year now, even sent a mildly suggestive email or two.  He figured the man had to be younger than him though probably older than Don. Orion had always been a little vague about what he did, only that he worked for the government and it kept him on the road a lot and often away from a net connection.  Alan had guessed Park Service or BLM, possibly even military.

**Orion**: Planner?

**LA_Planner**: That’s great.  LA is nice this time of year.  Not too cold, the worst of the wild fires have burnt out. Do you know anyone out here?

**Orion**: There are some people I’ve worked with a few times.  And I know you.

Alan froze again.  He felt his heart pounding.  Charlie had shown him how to find singles chat rooms one night when he’d be complaining about another failed date.  He’d told him warming up online might help him get comfortable again after so long.  Of course, Charlie didn’t know that he mainly chatted with men.

**LA_Planner**: Yes, you do.

**Orion**: If it’s not too forward I would like to meet you.  Just for coffee or something.

Alan looked over at his bed, too long empty.  He placed his hands carefully on the keyboard.

**LA_Planner**: Coffee would be great.

~

Alan sat at the small table outside the café and played with the little sugar packs, trying to stack them up like a house of cards.  He’d found the blue shirt some previous dates had commented on and the jacket Charlie always told him looked slimming.

A tall man Alan thought he recognized strolled up and sat at a nearby table.

“Agent Edgerton?” Alan said and the tall man twisted around.

“Alan. Hello.” Agent Edgerton held out a hand.  Don had introduced them briefly when he’d gone by the office one day during a case.

Alan shook his hand. “What brings you to LA? More work?” Alan asked, knowing Ian in LA meant a case for Don and Charlie.

“No, actually taking a bit of time off.”

“Well, that’s good.”  An odd feeling twisted in the pit of Alan’s stomach.

“What brings you to this end of town?” Ian asked casually.

“Just meeting someone for coffee.”

“Really? Me, too.” Ian looked down at his hands.  “Alan, correct me if I’m wrong but weren’t you a city planner.”

“For many years.”

“Ah.” Ian looked uncomfortable. 

Alan connected the dots. “Orion, the hunter.”

Ian shrugged. “Oh I knew this was a bad idea.” Alan said.  He stood and was quickly headed down the street.

A firm hand landed on his shoulder. “Alan, wait.”

Alan shrugged off the hand and kept walking until Ian skitted ahead of him.

“Just stop, hold on.”

“Ian, I don’t know what you were expecting, but I’m sure you weren’t expecting me and I certainly wasn’t expecting you.”

Ian held his arms out. “Am I such a bad surprise?”

“You work with my sons. You’ve got to be only a few years older than them.”

“I’m older than I look.”

“That is hardly the point.”

Ian gestured back towards the café. “I said coffee.  That’s it.  You came all the way across town; let me at least get you a cup of coffee.”

Alan tried his best interrogation face.  The one he used when he was sure the boys were up to something, certain this had to be some sort of joke. 

“Come on, Alan, please.”

Alan sighed “One cup.  That’s it.”

~

Alan was dimly aware of the sound of the hotel door clicking shut.  He was far more aware of the hands and lips rushing over his body.

“Why?” Alan gasped out, needing to know.

“I like what I see.”

Alan shook his head. “It’s not right.”

“Few things in my life are,” Ian breathed, lips pressed to Alan’s ear. Alan shivered, realizing just how long it had been since the warm air of human breath had touched his skin.  “Does right and wrong matter that much here?”

Alan leaned into Ian’s touch. “You know what?  They really don’t.”


End file.
